Obedience Knight
Obedience Knights or Obedience Knights (from Latin oboedientia , "obedience") are members of the second estate of the Order of Malta (Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di Rodo e di Malta).
Knights of obedience feel called to a life of greater commitment in accordance with the aims of the Catholic order, but are unable to take all three monastic vows ( poverty , chastity and obedience ). In order to enable them to have a stronger spiritual connection to religious life, such men have been admitted to the obedience class since the 1950s. So of the three vows they only realize one thing, namely obedience. For certain reasons one can withdraw from this promise of obedience.
The obedience knights are obliged to annual retreats and other spiritual exercises. They can be elected to the Sovereign Council , the Government of the Order of Malta.
The Protestant Order of St. John does not have its own rank of obedience knight. All honorary and legal knights undertake to obey the master master and the superiors of the order.
literature
- Paul Hieronymussen: Orders, Medals and Decorations of Britain and Europe in Color. Blandford Press, London 1967.
- JW Jongedijk: Ridderlijke Order in Nederland. Europese Bibliotheek, Zaltbommel 1965.